American 4 year college student possibly moving after graduation

[skaliton]

I have read through the website numerous times, but being as I am a full time student I obviously cannot work a job full time as well, I do not have a PHD nor can I pursue one (unless somehow I am getting paid to do it and given housing)

And I am attempting to get an offer of employment (I have applied to over 20 places and am searching for more currently) but it is more than slightly challenging to find a job when you don't have a specific degree (or one that is extremely general that is generally considered favorable such as business) Another problem that I face is that I can't take a low wage job (glancing at jobs and housing alone a 12 CAD an hour full time job vs. 700 a month (glanced through craigslist for cheap housing nearby the city) would make me the working poor (by no means am I saying I deserve or am qualified for a 60,000 a year job but 35,000 is realistically the minimal that I can take)

I did my research within the few days after I made my original message (I even applied for my U.S. passport today, yes seriously I did not have it)

[nuala]

Yes, that's why people told at the beginning that you can't just up and go to Canada. If you are looking for a Canadian job offer, you are competing with Canadians who are looking for the same jobs. The minimum wage may be not even $12, but $8-10. An incentive for a Canadian employer to hire from abroad would be either rare skills that he can't find Canadians with, or if he can pay you less and make more profit (temporary field hands).

The best bet would be for you to figure out what skills you would like to have, because without having anything to offer it's hard to sell yourself either in USA or in Canada, or anywhere. If you wanted, you could tailor your skills to that - again! - list of occupations. IF you read it, you've seen some trades that Canada needs. Get yourself a trade license, a year of experience (could be concurrently with apprenticeship), and off you go into the white North. If you don't want "dirty" jobs, you will have to figure out what office job value you have, before offering yourself. You may have seen on that occupation list - again! - that Canada needs biologists and supervisors, among others.

Sorry, bud, these are the only options you have with Canada.

[BIMBAM]

I know you've got student debt and can't afford to train to get a new skill. With everything you've said, bottom line, I don't see you having a way to immigrate to Canada this year. Maybe try to find a job in the US and look at Canada again later, once you're in a better position financially and in terms of skills.

[skaliton]

thanks it seems far less open than I would have hoped (And I do have skills but it is very hard to prove "people skills" or things such as I can read so far into someone and how truthful they are by little give aways such as their hands start are having perspiration problems) and skills such as that are only really useful in the field I'm getting away from

so it seems my options are either
1) wait
2) hope I get very good fortune and one of my applications turn out well for me (but I'm still pessimistic so I'm not counting on it)

[jzhang1]

I was in the same boat as you a few years ago when I graduated from college. Unless you marry a Canadian, your only real option is the skilled worker program. That being said, you would stand a far better chance of getting in through Quebec than Federal immigration. If your IQ is as high as you say it is, you should have no trouble becoming fluent in French if you study.

If you look at the scoring guidelines for Quebec, being fluent in French is worth more than having a PhD. It's unfair but they really give the VIP treatment to people who can speak French. Even with 4 years of work experience I didn't quite have enough points to qualify for immigration as a skilled worker. But somehow they arranged to interview me anyway and I crammed French for a month. I managed to impress my interviewer with my memorized lines of French and she passed me even though I was short on points. I only rated myself the lowest level in French, if you report a higher level of French fluency and can study like hell to back it up, they might just take you.

[dougie86]

Originally Posted by jzhang1

I was in the same boat as you a few years ago when I graduated from college. Unless you marry a Canadian, your only real option is the skilled worker program. That being said, you would stand a far better chance of getting in through Quebec than Federal immigration.

For the next 3 years (2012, 2013 & 2014), Quebec's PNP has an annual target of 55k.
Our Minister of Immigration has just announced that for the rest of Canada, the PNP will be expanded 10-fold from the current 45k-50k a year.

If your IQ is as high as you say it is, you should have no trouble becoming fluent in French if you study.

Not necessarily. Some people score very high in quantitative reasoning, but fare poorly in verbal ability.

If you look at the scoring guidelines for Quebec, being fluent in French is worth more than having a PhD. It's unfair but they really give the VIP treatment to people who can speak French.

Unfair? Not at all. If I were to emigrate to Japan or Denmark, I have to learn their official language.

Even with 4 years of work experience I didn't quite have enough points to qualify for immigration as a skilled worker. But somehow they arranged to interview me anyway and I crammed French for a month. I managed to impress my interviewer with my memorized lines of French and she passed me even though I was short on points. I only rated myself the lowest level in French, if you report a higher level of French fluency and can study like hell to back it up, they might just take you.

So, when are you coming?